The northern white rhinoceros is one of the world's biggest animals, and one of the most endangered. Only two are known to be alive, both female. But scientific breakthroughs are raising hopes for saving the rhino and perhaps even bringing other animals back from extinction. John Yang reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Can science save the northern white rhino from extinction and even bring back the dodo?

Amid underwater mountains off the coast of Chile, scientists believe they've discovered 100 or so new species with the aid of a robot capable of diving more than 14,000 feet. Researchers say it demonstrates how the Chilean government's ocean protections are bolstering biodiversity and providing a model for other countries. John Yang reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A glimpse at some of the 100 new deep sea species discovered off the coast of Chile

According to a paper published this past week in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists found what could be the brightest known object in the universe: a quasar produced by a massive and voracious black hole. It's estimated to be emitting light that's 500 trillion times more intense than Earth's sun. John Yang has more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A mind-boggling look at what might be the brightest object in the universe

The realism of AI-generated video is one of the more remarkable, and potentially scary, developments we've seen so far with the technology. Oren Etzioni studies artificial intelligence and is the founder of truemedia.org, an organization that fights against AI-based disinformation. Etzioni joined William Brangham to discuss the future of AI. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The potentially dangerous implications of an AI tool creating extremely realistic video

According to data from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, 2023 was a record year for launching satellites, probes, landers and more into space. But scientists worry those plumes of exhaust trailing behind rockets could be scattering harmful pollutants into the pristine upper layers of the atmosphere. John Yang speaks with freelance science journalist Shannon Hall to learn more. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

How a new space race could be harming the Earth's atmosphere

Coral reef ecosystems support a quarter of all marine life on Earth, but they are slowly dying under the relentless stresses of overfishing, pollution, disease and climate change. As part of our ongoing series "Saving Species," William Brangham dives into the steps that scientists are taking to try to preserve the corals that remain. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Conservationists take drastic measures to save coral reefs from climate change

Heman Bekele spent the last year developing a bar of soap that could treat skin cancer. It was the winning entry at the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, considered one of the top science and engineering competitions for fifth through eighth graders. For our Weekend Spotlight, John Yang speaks with Bekele about his work. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

14-year-old scientist Heman Bekele on his quest to fight skin cancer with soap

In our news wrap Thursday, former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in federal prison for contempt of Congress, the U.S. economy is showing more signs of surprising resilience thanks to robust consumer spending and the Hamas-run health ministry reported an Israeli strike killed 20 people waiting for food in Gaza. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

News Wrap: Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro sentenced to prison for contempt of Congress

The number of brown and rainbow trout in some of Montana's best-known and most scenic fishing rivers is at historic lows. With experts at a loss to explain it, state agencies, fishermen, businesses and concerned citizens are all trying to find answers. Montana PBS's Joe Lesar reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Montanans fish for answers to mysterious decline in trout population

From takeout containers to water bottles, plastic seems unavoidable in our daily lives. Now, two new studies have found that we're eating and drinking more plastic than we might have realized. George Leonard, a co-author of one of the studies and chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy, joins John Yang to discuss the findings. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Why you may be eating and drinking more microplastics than you thought

In our news wrap Sunday, Secretary of State Blinken continued his urgent mission to the Middle East as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth month, Defense Secretary Austin took responsibility for delays in disclosing his hospitalization, major winter storms dropped snow in the Northeast and the West, and a rocket launch Monday aims to land the first U.S. craft on the moon in more than 50 years. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

News Wrap: Blinken visits Qatar in diplomatic effort to contain Israel-Hamas war

When President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law 50 years ago, one of the first on the endangered list was the black-footed ferret, North America's rarest animal. Once thought to be extinct, they are making their way back thanks to the work of dedicated conservationists. John Yang reports on some of that work for our ongoing series, "Saving Species." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

How the black-footed ferret is making a comeback from the brink of extinction

When arctic ground squirrels hibernate for the winter, they can lower their body temperatures to freezing levels and stay dormant for up to eight months. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are studying how these animals survive on the edge of life and the clues they may hold to treating injuries and disease in humans. Alaska Public Media's Kavitha George reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

How studying arctic ground squirrels can help advance human brain health

In our news wrap Saturday, Vice President Harris pledged $3 billion at COP28 to a global fund to help poorer nations adapt to climate change, a protestor is in critical condition after setting themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, and record amounts of snow has dropped on much of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

News Wrap: U.S. at COP28 commits to tripling renewable energy production by 2030

At COP28 on Saturday, 50 oil and gas companies -- including industry giants ExxonMobil, Shell and BP -- pledged to reduce methane emissions to "near zero" by 2030. At the same time, the Biden administration announced new rules to enforce major elements of the agreement in the U.S. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, joins John Yang to discuss the importance of this deal. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

What to know about the COP28 deal and new U.S. rules to cut methane emissions

In our news wrap Saturday, a pair of explosions destroyed the booster rocket and spacecraft of SpaceX's biggest rocket during a test launch in Texas, and Comcast joined the list of advertisers stepping away from Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over concerns about antisemetic content. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

News Wrap: SpaceX's Starship rocket test launch ends with explosions

The Mississippi River is a superhighway for American agricultural products, but a warm fall and extreme drought conditions have contributed to its water levels dropping to record lows. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports from Missouri on what conditions along this vital commercial route mean for farmers who rely on it to get their crops to market. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Historically low water levels on the Mississippi River cause shipping woes

For Native American Heritage Month, as part of our "Hidden Histories" series, we bring you the story of John Herrington, a decorated naval officer and trailblazing astronaut. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The story of John Herrington, the 1st Native American in space

This week's Nobel Prize announcements are highlighting groundbreaking work once again in the sciences and medicine. William Brangham has a conversation with one of the year's winners in medicine, whose work led to a profound change in tackling the pandemic. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Winner of Nobel Prize in medicine discusses how her work helped fight COVID-19

Cities across the U.S. broke thousands of heat records this summer, but in many of them, some areas were hotter than others. These areas are known as urban heat islands, which can mean higher energy bills and unsafe conditions for residents. Blair Waltman-Alexin of Austin PBS, in partnership with Austin Vida, reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

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